This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in game training devices, and, more particularly, to tennis game training devices of the type which are adapted to maintain proper stroking of a tennis racquet by means of a device which is adapted to be worn by the player and which is also adapted to be secured to a tennis racquet.
It is well known that proper form and control of a tennis racquet in any game of tennis is primarily dependent upon the stroking of the tennis racquet by the player. Moreover, in the normal game of tennis, certain parameters are critical in order to achieve proper control in operation of the tennis racquet. First of all, it has been established that it is necessary for the tennis player to maintain the head of the tennis racquet at least parallel to or above the player's wrist during all stroking movements of the tennis racquet. Secondly, it has been established that it is necessary for the tennis player to turn away from the net in order to move the tennis racquet to a proper position to engage the tennis ball. Thirdly, it is important for the tennis player to maintain the correct distance between the arm of the player and the body portion in order to achieve this proper stroking. Fourthly, it has also been established that it is necessary to limit the backward and forward movement of the tennis racquet in any stroking operation.
Due to the fact that the game of tennis has become a very popular sport and recreational pastime, there have been many technical articles and books written by professionals, or the so-called "alleged professionals," with regard to improvement in the game of tennis. However, these articles and books are effective only to the extent that they teach the tennis player, in literary form, with respect to proper movement of a tennis racquet. Nevertheless, each of these literary articles suffers from the very substantial disadvantage that they do not aid the tennis player once this player or trainee is actually engaged in a game of tennis or in a training exercise on a tennis court.
One of the principal problems involved in the training of the tennis game trainee is that a tennis game trainee may have read such literary articles and, in fact, may have been instructed by a trainer, although the instruction obtained from the trainer or these articles is of limited value when the trainee attempts to actually practice the techniques which are taught. One of the primary problems involved is that the stroking of the tennis racquet in proper game form deviates from normal body movement. Moreover, the trainee in the game of tennis finds great difficulty in achieving the necessary stroking movement which would aid in the ability to play the game of tennis by such trainee.
The present invention obviates these and other problems in the provision of a tennis game training device which assists a trainee in proper stroking of a tennis racquet. Normally, the tennis racquet will include a head portion capable of engaging a tennis ball and a handle portion which is secured to this head portion and is capable of being grasped by the trainee. Moreover, this tennis game training device will include a harness which is adapted to be worn by the trainee and a cord extends from the harness for removable attachment to the racquet. The cord is adjustably sized of a length sufficient to permit the player or trainee to stroke the tennis racquet with relatively free arm and body movement, but which nevertheless prevents the wrist of the trainee from being located in a vertical plane above the head of the tennis racquet when stroking the same.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a game training device which assists a trainee in stroking a racquet of the type which engages a playing ball, in order to achieve optimum stroking movement thereof.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a game training device of the type stated which comprises a harness adapted to be worn by the trainee as well as a cord which extends from the harness and is removably secured to the tennis racquet in order to obtain limited but yet sufficient movement of the tennis racquet during a stroking operation by the trainee thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game training device of the type stated which is capable of effectively aiding in the limiting of the forward and backward swing of a tennis racquet in any stroking thereof by the player.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a game training device of the type stated in which the cord thereof is utilized to aid the trainee in maintaining his arm at a correct distance from the body.
It is another salient object of the present invention to provide a tennis training device of the type stated which is durable in its construction, capable of being manufactured at a relatively unit cost, and which is highly reliable in its operation.
With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.